Leigh Holman
- Associate Professor of Opera
- Director, Eklund Opera Program
- VOICE + OPERA + MUSICAL THEATRE
Leigh Holman has found success balancing her professional stage directing and academic career in the United States and abroad.
Her most recent professional engagement was with Pafos Aphrodite Festival in Pafos, Cyprus, where she received heralded reviews for her direction of Mozart’s “Die Entführung aus Serail.” She has made debuts at the Piccolo Festival Friuli Venezia Giulia (Rossini’s “La cambiale di matrimonio”) in Northern Italy, Florida Grand Opera, Opéra de Montréal (Nabucco) and Opera Futura in Verona, Italy. At CU Boulder each academic year, Holman stage directs three mainstage operas, teaches opera workshop classes and directs an opera scenes program. Previously, Holman directed Opera Colorado’s Young Artist Program and education area. And as chair of the voice area, she founded the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Opera Program.
Equally suited to new and rare works as she is to traditional compositions for the stage, Holman has produced and directed workshops of operas in association with composers and librettists such as Mark Adamo, Robert Aldridge, Mark Campbell, Tom Cipullo, Herschel Garfein, Jake Heggie, Daniel Kellogg, Lori Laitman, Libby Larsen, Dave Mason, Kirke Mechem, Gene Scheer and Colm Toibin. As the founder of the College of Music’s New Opera Workshop (CU NOW), Holman continues to passionately promote the creation, collaboration and production of new American works.
Holman earned degrees from the Eastman School of Music, the University of Southern California and CU Boulder.